No chimney at our house. The Stockings were hung on the woodwork with care...

Sergei was finally able to hang a few ornaments after messing with the lights on the, um, pre-light tree.

When we finally got to decorating for Christmas this year, two out of four kids were in bad moods and ended up in their bedrooms. Everything went up in just over an hour in the midst of fussing and frustration and when we were finished, although I am not much of a liquor girl, I was looking around for a mixed drink.

We didn't make perfect family memories this year decorating, but I did catch Zoya and Polly playing with the winter village, and Evie liked the Christmas music as long as it wasn't too loud, and Elaina, who is 11 turning 23, had a faint smile on her face for a second or two at some point, that is until she noticed that I noticed. Ha!